Ironclad Huascar - Guide 057 - Special

Summary

The 'Huáscar', an ironclad warship of the Peruvian and Chilean navies, had an eventful history. Originally an experimental turret ship, it was armed with powerful guns and a ram bow. Despite initial setbacks, it saw action in the Peruvian Civil War and the War of the Pacific, where its armor was its strength. The ship changed hands multiple times, was involved in the first combat torpedo launch, and was eventually captured and repaired by Chile. It served until a boiler explosion in 1897, was later restored, and can now be visited as a heritage ship in Chile.

Takeaways

• ⚓ The Huascar was an ironclad turret warship serving both Peruvian and Chilean navies.
• 🛠️ Built in the 1860s, the Huascar had a 4.5-inch thick belt of armor and a 7.5-inch thick armored turret.
• 🔫 The ship's armament included twin 10-inch guns, smaller 40-pound guns, a 12-pound cannon, and a Gatling gun.
• 🚢 Equipped with a ram bow, the Huascar could reach speeds of 12 knots.
• ⚔️ The Huascar saw action in various conflicts, including the Peruvian civil war and the War of the Pacific.
• 🛡️ Despite its armor, the ship faced significant challenges and damages during battles, especially against newer Chilean ironclads.
• 👨‍✈️ Captain Grau was the Huascar's most renowned commander, serving during significant naval engagements.
• 🌊 The Huascar was captured by Chilean forces and served in the Chilean navy after the Battle of Angamos.
• 🔄 The ship was involved in multiple civil wars and changed hands between government and rebel forces.
• 🏛️ The Huascar is now a heritage ship and can be visited in Talcahuano, Chile.

Q & A

What was the HMS Warrior's significance in the context of the Musca's design?

The HMS Warrior was the first true ironclad warship, and its design influenced the Musca, which was an early ironclad turret ship, one of the many experimental warship types in the 1860s.

What were the Musca's primary weapons?

The Musca was armed with a single twin turret carrying a pair of 10-inch guns, also known as 300-pound guns, a pair of smaller 40-pound guns, a 12-pound cannon, and a Gatling gun.

Why was the ram bow considered a vital weapon on the Musca?

The ram bow was considered vital because, at the time, the thickest armor appeared almost invulnerable to gunfire, and the ram could be used to inflict damage on enemy ships.

What was the Musca's speed and how did it compare to other ships of the time?

The Musca had a speed of 12 knots, which was not the fastest but was considered respectable for a ship of its type during that era.

Why did the Peruvian Navy name the ship Huascar?

The Peruvian Navy named the ship Huascar after the penultimate ruler of the Inca Empire, following a tradition of naming ships after significant historical figures.

What was the first action Captain Grau saw on the Huascar?

Captain Grau's first action on the Huascar was during the Peruvian civil war when the ship was seized by rebels and operated against government shipping.

How did the Huascar's armor perform during its engagement with the British Navy?

The Huascar's armor performed well, keeping out all incoming fire from the faster but unarmored British ships, despite being hit repeatedly.

What was significant about the attempted sinking of the Huascar by HMS Shah using a torpedo?

The attempted sinking marked the first combat torpedo launch in the world, although it missed its target.

What was the outcome of the Battle of Angamos for the Huascar?

In the Battle of Angamos, the Huascar's armor was finally penetrated by the latest British guns and armor-piercing shot from the Chilean ships, leading to Captain Grau's death and the ship's capture.

How did the Huascar's involvement in the War of the Pacific impact the conflict?

The Huascar's raids on shipping and ports delayed the Chilean campaign by about half a year, as they couldn't guarantee supply or support for their troops with the Huascar operating unchecked.

What was the final fate of the Huascar?

After a boiler explosion in 1897, the Huascar was decommissioned and later brought back into service as a submarine tender and then a heritage ship. It can now be visited in the port of Talcahuano, Chile.

Outlines

00:00

🛳️ HMS Cusco: The Ironclad Warship's Eventful Journey

The HMS Cusco, originally known as the Musca, was an early ironclad turret ship with a rich history. Designed in the 1860s, it was based on Confederate ironclad ram ships and featured a 4.5-inch armor belt, a 7.5-inch armored turret, and a 3-inch armored conning tower. Armed with 10-inch guns, smaller 40-pound and 12-pound cannons, and a Gatling gun, the ship also had a ram bow for combat. Despite its impressive specs, the Cusco had a tumultuous career, including being stuck in a French port and colliding with its own ironclad. It saw action in the Peruvian Civil War, where it fought against government shipping and engaged with the British Navy. The ship's armor proved resilient, but its speed and armament were insufficient against faster, unarmored British ships. The Cusco also participated in the War of the Pacific, where it faced off against Chilean warships, demonstrating the effectiveness of its armor but also its limitations in combat.

05:02

🗡️ The Battle of Angamos and the Cusco's Final Years

In the decisive Battle of Angamos, the Cusco faced Chilean ironclads armed with armor-piercing shot capable of penetrating its once-thought invincible armor. Despite a valiant effort by Captain Grau, who was killed in the battle, the Cusco was heavily damaged and eventually captured by the Chileans. Repaired and repurposed, it served in the Chilean Navy until a boiler explosion in 1897 led to its decommissioning. The ship was later recommissioned as a submarine tender and then preserved as a heritage ship. Interestingly, even in the 1940s, amidst advanced naval technology, the Cusco was still listed in Jane's Fighting Ships as a coastal defense ship. By the 1950s, it was retired and restored to its 1897 condition, where it can now be visited in the port of Talcahuano, Chile. The video concludes by inviting viewers to comment with suggestions for future ship reviews.

Keywords

💡Ironclad

An 'ironclad' refers to a type of warship that was armored with iron or steel, primarily during the 19th century. In the context of the video, the term is used to describe the warship 'Huáscar', which was an early example of an ironclad turret ship. The ironclad nature of the ship is central to its story, as its armor played a significant role in its battles and survival.

💡Peruvian and Chilean Navies

These terms refer to the naval forces of Peru and Chile, two countries in South America. The video discusses the 'Huáscar' ship's service in the Peruvian Navy and later its capture and service in the Chilean Navy. The naval history of these countries is integral to the narrative of the ship's service and the battles it participated in.

💡Turret Ship

A 'turret ship' is a type of warship that features a rotating armored turret housing its main armament. The 'Huáscar' was an early ironclad turret ship, and its design is a key aspect of the video. The turret allowed for a greater range of fire and protection for the ship's guns, which was a significant technological advancement at the time.

💡300-pound Guns

The term '300-pound guns' refers to the size of the guns based on the weight of the shot they fired. The 'Huáscar' was armed with a pair of these large guns, which were a central part of its armament. This term is used in the script to illustrate the firepower of the ship and its role as a formidable warship of its era.

💡RAM Bow

A 'RAM bow' is a part of a warship designed to strike and potentially sink enemy vessels by ramming into them. The 'Huáscar' was equipped with a ram bow, which was considered a vital weapon at the time due to the perceived invincibility of ironclad ships' armor. The script mentions the ram bow in the context of the ship's combat capabilities.

💡War of the Pacific

The 'War of the Pacific' was a conflict between Chile and a coalition of Peru and Bolivia from 1879 to 1884. The video discusses the role of the 'Huáscar' in this war, highlighting its significance in the naval battles that took place. The war is a central event in the ship's history and the narrative of the video.

💡Captain Grau

'Captain Grau' refers to the longest-serving commander of the 'Huáscar' and a renowned Peruvian naval officer. The script mentions his leadership and the ship's actions under his command, particularly during the War of the Pacific. Captain Grau's role is important for understanding the ship's history and its naval engagements.

💡Battle of Angamos

The 'Battle of Angamos' was a naval battle during the War of the Pacific, where the 'Huáscar' was engaged by Chilean ships. The video describes the outcome of this battle, which resulted in the capture of the 'Huáscar' by the Chileans. This battle is a pivotal moment in the ship's history and the script's narrative.

💡Armor-Piercing Shot

'Armor-piercing shot' refers to ammunition designed to penetrate the armor of warships. The script mentions that the Chilean ships at the Battle of Angamos were armed with this type of shot, which was capable of penetrating the 'Huáscar's' armor. This term is crucial for understanding the technological advancements in naval warfare and the ship's eventual defeat.

💡Boiler Explosion

A 'boiler explosion' is a catastrophic failure of a steamship's boiler, causing significant damage or destruction. The script describes a boiler explosion as the event that led to the 'Huáscar's' decommissioning in 1897. This term is important for understanding the end of the ship's active service and its transition to a heritage vessel.

💡Heritage Ship

'Heritage ship' refers to a vessel that has historical significance and is preserved for educational or cultural purposes. The script concludes with the 'Huáscar' being restored and serving as a heritage ship in the port of Talcahuano, Chile. This term highlights the ship's transition from a warship to a symbol of maritime history.

Highlights

The Huascar is an ironclad warship with a very eventful life, exemplifying the phrase 'may you live in interesting times'.

Launched in 1865, the Huascar was an early ironclad turret ship, one of many experimental warship types in the 1860s.

Designed based on two small ironclad turret ram ships built for the Confederacy, seized by the British for violating neutrality.

Equipped with 4.5 inch armor belt, 7.5 inch armored turret, 3-inch armored conning tower, and powerful weaponry.

Armed with 300-pound 10-inch guns, 40-pound guns, 12-pound cannon, Gatling gun, and a RAM bow.

Not the fastest ship at 12 knots, but had respectable speed for its time.

Commissioned into the Peruvian Navy in 1865 under the name Huascar, after the Inca ruler.

Career started with mishaps like getting stuck in a French port and hitting its own ironclad.

Missed the war against Spain in 1866 due to delays and arrived too late.

Captain Grau took command in 1868, becoming the longest-serving and most renowned Peruvian naval officer on the ship.

Saw action in the Peruvian civil war, seized by rebels, fought the Royal Navy, and survived a torpedo attack.

Involved in the War of the Pacific between Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, delaying Chilean campaign.

At the Battle of Angamos in 1879, the Huascar's armor was finally penetrated by Chilean armor-piercing shot.

Captain Grau was killed, and the Huascar was captured and repaired for Chilean Navy service.

The capture of the Huascar allowed the Chilean army to advance and eventually win the war.

Served in another civil war in Chile, was renamed 'Revolution' after the rebels won.

Retired in 1897 after a boiler explosion, later restored and served as a submarine tender and heritage ship.

In the 1950s, still listed by Jane's Fighting Ships as a coastal defense ship despite being outdated.

Now preserved and can be visited in the port of Talcahuano, Chile.

Transcripts

this is the five-minute guide to the

ironclad huis car a warship of the

Peruvian and Chilean navies the Cusco is

one of those ships that exemplifies why

the phrase may you live in interesting

times can be seen as both blessing and

curse she had a very eventful life but

you might not have actually wanted to

serve aboard her especially if you

happen to be a captain now the musca

started life as an early ironclad turret

ship keeping in mind that the first true

ironclad the hms warrior had only been

ordered five years previously the ship

was one of many experimental warship

types in the 1860s not as large or as

capable as an ocean-going battleship

like the warrior but still substantially

more ocean capable than most of the

monitor type vessels used in the

American Civil War her design was

actually based on two small ironclad

turret ram ships that the Laird company

had built for the Confederacy before

they were seized by the British

government for violating the British

Empire's neutrality in that particular

war she was ordered in 1864 and equipped

with a 4.5 inch thick belt of armor a

7.5 inch thick armored turret and a

3-inch thick armored conning tower now

as for weapons we'll hand you over to a

regular narrator the ship was armed with

a single twin turret carrying a pair of

10-inch guns at the time guns were more

usually rated by the weight of shot they

used so most documents called them

300-pound guns a pair of smaller

40-pound guns a 12 pound cannon and a

Gatling gun completed the ranged

armament thank you very much now the

ship was also equipped with a weapon

that was thought to be vital at the time

given that the thickest armor appeared

to be almost invulnerable to any gonna

float this was the RAM bow which was

also armored at 12 knots the ship was

not the fastest thing afloat but its

speed was respectable upon completion in

late 1865 she commissioned into service

of the Peruvian Navy under the name of

Huascar the penultimate ruler of the

Inca Empire like the Georgia Saveur of

half a century later her career started

somewhat poorly getting stuck in a

French port for a month then

accidentally hitting one of her own

sides other ironclads the corvette

independent

yeah and then various neutral countries

refused her from their ports having

eventually made it across the Atlantic

and needing a month of repairs in Rio

amongst other minor dramas she ended up

arriving just too late for the war

against Spain that she'd actually been

ordered for in 1868 captain Grau took

command he would go on to be the ship's

longest-serving commander and the most

renowned Peruvian naval officer she

would see her first action a decade

later when the peruvian civil war kicked

off when she was seized by rebels and

operated against government shipping she

ended up fighting the Royal Navy when

her activities began to affect British

trade now this degenerated into a little

bit of a slap fight as the British ships

were faster but unarmored Corvettes they

hit the Wasco repeatedly but the armor

did its job keeping out all incoming

fire meanwhile the few guns the Wasco

had proved incapable of hitting these

circling British ships and its speed was

insufficient to let the ship actually

rammed the Royal Navy the most

interesting part of the battle was HMS

Shah attempting to sink the Wasco with a

torpedo this was the first combat

torpedo launch in the world it missed

and both sides sailed away in the

darkness a couple of days later the

ships are ended back to the government a

couple of years later the War of the

Pacific broke out in with Chile on one

side and Peru and Bolivia on the other

Chile was significantly stronger on

paper but the Peruvian Navy sent the

crossguard to raid shipping and ports to

which the Chileans didn't actually have

any answer and the entire campaign was

therefore delayed by about half a year

since they couldn't guarantee supply or

support for their troops with the Wasco

running around unchecked and so on the

21st of May 1879 the Battle of equi quay

took place and the US car and

independencia were facing off against

two Chilean warships again the armor of

the GWACs car proved unbreachable but

the Chilean ships had positioned

themselves in front of a Peruvian town

so any missed shots would kill their own

countrymen so the Coast Guard instead of

Ram to the Corvette esmeralda several

times which sent it to the bottom

the Esmerelda's captain tried to board

the worse car but he wasn't heard giving

the order over the noise of battle and

was shot

unaccompanied on the deck of the Wasco

with the main battle over the ship

rescued the surviving enemy crew

unfortunately for the Peruvian Navy the

independencia tried to chase down the

other Chilean ship and ended up getting

stuck on a rock with the Wasco having to

rescue the crew and then destroy the

stricken ship however the chileans had

got quite fed up of this affair and

ordered their own new ironclad ships and

as with almost all exported ironclad

vessels of this period these also came

from England six Chilean vessels would

then engage the crossguard at the Battle

of anga Maz the two new Chilean frigates

were armed with the latest British guns

and armor-piercing shot and these

finally proved capable of penetrating

the cross car's armor whilst their own

nine-inch belt armor was capable of

resisting the Peruvian fire despite a

valiant struggle captain Grau was killed

and the ship steadily filled with more

and more holes until it was on the verge

of sinking however at this point the

Chilean warships boarded and captured

the vessel towing it back to port and

repairing it for service in the Chilean

Navy with Aguas car captured the Chilean

army could at now advance and would

eventually go on to win the war the

cross Garzon pot wasn't over however the

Peruvian government had attempted to

replace its losses by buying a number of

X US Navy monitors including the USS on

a oder

which they renamed manco capac after the

lost in Kerala to actually fight the

Spanish although this ship was one of

the later us monitor designs with

15-inch Dahlgren guns the cross car was

from a similar period of design history

and although the huskers new commander

was also killed the two ships battled

each other without causing significant

damage on either side much like the

earlier engagement of the USS Monitor

and the CSS Virginia 10 years down the

line and the ship was involved in yet

another civil war this time in Chile and

was again on the rebel side the Chilean

government however was overthrown and

since the rebels had won it was promptly

renamed a revolution instead of a

rebellion the crossguard would stay in

service until 1897 when a boiler

explosion resulted in her

decommissioning until 20 years later

when she was brought back into service

as a submarine tender and then a

heritage ship hilariously in nineteen

49 in the era of jet fighters missiles

and 16-inch naval guns the ship was

still listed by Jane's fighting ships as

a coastal defense ship by the 1950s

however she was finally retired and

gradually repaired and rebuilt to her

earlier 1897 condition and she can now

be visited in the port of talcahuano in

Chile that's it for this video thanks

for watching if you have a comment or

suggestion for a ship to review let us

know in the comments below